


We Got... Partnered

by gigglemayhem



Series: All for a Smile [1]
Category: 2PM, Beast (Band), Big Bang (Band), Dong Bang Shin Ki, MBLAQ, SHINee, SS501, Super Junior, U-KISS
Genre: F/M, M/M, We Got Married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-07
Updated: 2012-02-07
Packaged: 2017-10-30 18:17:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/334679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gigglemayhem/pseuds/gigglemayhem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>MBC's reality show "We Got Married" has been receiving low views lately, and in an effort to bring up the viewership, they have brought in PD Na, who is known for his controversial and outrageous show themes.  What he ends up implementing upon the show may bring it to its doom, or it may bring in more viewers than ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Evil Director

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own We Got Married, PD Na, Super Junior, SHINee, DBSK,... everyone. This is purely a fanfic. So if I end up being inaccurate about anything, please forgive me.

After the first day of filming, all night, in a hospital in Seoul...

  
  
PD Na sat by his army-friend’s bed, waiting patiently for him to wake up. He occasionally looked up from the book he was reading, and made sure to hold on to his friend’s cool hand as he slept.  
  
At around 2 in the morning, his friend’s partner walked in through the door.  
  
“Hey,” he said to Na, dropping his bag heavily into a corner chair and walking over to sit on the other side of his lover.  
  
“Hey yourself, Insu-sshi,” Na replied as he closed his book and watched the older man lovingly touch his sleeping husband’s face.  
  
“So, how was filming?” Insu asked absently, settling into his seat. The two men had not originally been on good terms with each other, especially when Insu’s lover had told him that Na had been the first man he truly loved. But once he understood that Jaehee was completely over him and was devoted only to Insu, Insu relaxed somewhat in Na’s presence.  
  
Even so, he still didn’t completely trust the evil director.  
  
Na smirked. “It went very well,” he hummed satisfactorily.  
  
Insu’s eyebrows lifted up. “What evil deed did you make the poor saps do?”  
  
“I made them marry each other, whether they liked it or not,” Na replied gleefully, as if it were surprising that people should get married on a show called “We Got Married”.  
  
Insu was confused. “Soooo... I take it there were a few who weren’t happy with their designated spouses?”  
  
“Perhaps. But I’m sure some of them liked it, though.” Na scratched his chin thoughtfully.  
  
Insu sighed and leaned back in his seat. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me who is paired up with who?”  
  
To his surprise, Na replied in the affirmative, “I will.” Na looked over at Jaehee. “I’ll tell you when he wakes up. Consider it my long-overdue wedding present to you both.”  
  
Insu narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Gifts” from Na were sometimes not all that pleasant. Even so, he found himself waiting anxiously for his lover to wake up.  
  
Both men ended up dozing off, and Insu was woken by a soft tug on his hand. Jaehee was awake. With all the love he could muster, -- which was very little, in fact -- Insu threw a pillow into Na’s face. Na jerked awake.  
  
“Hyung, that wasn’t very nice,” Jaehee chided softly.  
  
Insu shrugged nonchalantly. Na could consider it payback in case his “gift” wasn’t good.  
  
Na rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, then eagerly turned to Jaehee, suddenly becoming like a little boy. “Jaehee-ah!  I have some awesome news to tell you and Insu-sshi!”  
  
Insu grudgingly had to admit he looked cute when he was excited.  
  
“Today was the first day of my filming with We Got Married. And you both will _love_ what I did....”  
  
Both Insu and Jaehee’s eyes widened as Na described the despicable thing he made his cast do, which no one in the room honestly thought was despicable, but it was still evil of Na to do, nonetheless. As he watched the smile slowly register on his lover’s face, Insu thought that maybe Na wasn’t such a bad friend after all. Anyone who is willing to sacrifice their dignity for the sake of another’s genuine smile is at least worthy of respect, Insu decided, finally allowing himself to laugh freely.


	2. Married Yet Again

Day one of filming, early morning, at an unknown location somewhere in Seoul...

 

Alex was not looking forward to this. Not at all. He thought he had put this show behind him, had hoped he could move forward, but no. His parents had to force him to decide between blind dates and doing this show again in the hopes he would be set up with a girl who liked him back this time. The odds were good that there were girls who liked him because of the image he had portrayed the last time he was on We Got Married. He still got at least one confession a day from fans he met here and there because of the show. He had even gotten a few confessions from other stars. But the fact of the matter was he was still so afraid of giving in again.  
  
He didn’t hate Shinae, but he had opened up so much to her that it was a bit of a shock when he came to realize that her feelings for him would never be anything more than friendly. Breakups with previous girlfriends had been fairly similar with him always fighting to hold on to them, and with them always running away. He always let them go when he realized sooner or later that they weren’t coming back, but it was like he couldn’t let go of Shinae even if he wanted to. Fans of the Alshin couple were very reluctant to let the idea go, even after she got married for real six months later. With all of the constant mentioning of her name and the show, he felt less and less inspired to actually go out with girls anymore. Correction: he felt less and less inspired to fall in love and pour his heart out anymore.  
  
So he stopped trying. He found himself quite content being alone, and felt like he was still being active enough socially in a way that was neither overwhelming to himself nor unsatisfactory to the people who cared about him. Except for his parents, of course. They were tired of him being single or sporadically dating, which was why they were now pressuring him into being in a more committed relationship.  
  
Which was why he was walking toward the coffee shop of his doom, where he could see the cameras of WGM filming his entrance into his next fake marriage. Well, he thought, this will probably get remaining Alshin fans to finally give up on the notion of me and Shinae. But it will garner new fans of the current couple, no doubt.  
  
 _Damn._  
  
Even so, he plastered a pleasant smile on his face, which became more genuine when he saw PD Na in front of a camera instead of the woman he would become “married” to. He liked PD Na. Seeing him meant that even if the marriage became too burdensome on Alex, he would be distracted by whatever shit the director would fling their way to keep things from being too real. PD Na had a penchant for assigning evil tasks to the participants of his shows, which most of them hated, except for the few who liked a challenge. Few like Alex. _Perhaps I really am a masochist like my friends say I am_ , he thought.  
  
“Alex-sshi,” Na greeted with a bow. “Welcome.”  
  
“Hello Na PD-nim,” Alex returned, bowing both to the director and his crew. A few heads (mostly the ones without the cameras) bowed back shyly.  
  
“You’re the earliest arrival, so I will begin with you,” Na gestured toward a door at the far end of a wall, one of many private conference rooms at this unique coffee shop. “We have a few new couples beginning today, you see. I am interviewing them each individually to make sure we will match them to the right partner.”  
  
They stepped inside the small room and sat across from each other at the table. PD Na pulled out a folder with Alex’s name and opened it. On the papers within were some basic facts about Alex, information regarding the previous marriage, and a page with actual handwriting on it. Alex squinted at it, and realized it was his dad’s handwriting.  
  
“So, I have here the requests of your parents regarding what qualities they feel are appropriate in a spouse,” Na gestured to the handwritten paper.  
  
 _Of course._  
  
“Yes, I specifically asked them to put in their input this time around,” Alex responded politely, so viewers of the show wouldn’t assume his parents were being overbearing. Which they were, but that wasn’t the point.  
  
“I see. Even so, I would like to ask a few questions so we don’t accidentally place you with your worst nightmare.” Na glanced down at the responses.  
  
Before he could ask the first question, Alex quipped, “I’ll be fine with anyone so long as they aren’t like Hyung Don-hyung.”  
  
Na chuckled darkly at the image. “We’ll try.” He smiled wickedly.  
  
Alex smiled back. Even if the person were like Hyung Don, at least Alex wouldn’t fall in love with them in real life.  
  
“So,” Na began, “It says here that your parents feel your spouse should be capable of keeping house and should be fairly successful in their work. They don’t mind someone dedicated to their job, so long as they present the proper respect to family and would consider cultivating a family someday. They don’t want someone wishy-washy, and would like someone who will give you as much love and affection as you give, unlike your previous girlfriends.”  
  
Alex smiled at his frankness and paraphrasing, for he had obviously not read aloud all of what was listed on the paper. “Sounds good,” he said.  
  
Na nodded and made a note on the page. He looked up at Alex with a slightly quizzical look in his eyes. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like any additions, subtractions, or changes made?”  
  
Alex thought for a moment. “I don’t really care if they are able to keep house well or are extremely successful at work. I can do all of those things. I just ask that they are willing to help me around the house and try their best at their work.”  
  
“Any requests as to their physical appearance?”  
  
“Tall without high heels, slender legs, and a beautiful face,” Alex responded without pause. There was something odd in his tone, so Na looked up questioningly. Alex’s eyes were twinkling, and he corrected, “I was just joking. I don’t really have any preferences in terms of their physical appearance.”  
  
Na chuckled. Na noted his responses, the honest ones anyway. Then, he clicked his pen, closed the folder, and shifted his seat so he could stand up. “Well, if that is all, then you may feel free to do whatever for a few hours while I interview the others. We’ll reconvene at 3 p.m.?”  
  
“Sure,” Alex agreed amicably. Both men stood up and shook hands. Na gestured for Alex to leave via the other door in the room so he wouldn’t see the other candidates. Alex stepped out the door and met the cameraman that would be following him until the next meeting.  
  
Alex treated the cameraman to a coffee before they stepped outside to walk toward the large marketplace nearby. For the few hours he had, Alex browsed the wares, jokingly flirted with the ahjummahs when they chatted with him, posed for pictures with random fans, etc. During the course of the day, he encountered a few other of the WGM participants, including G.O., Kevin, TOP and Daesung, Seunggi, Taecyeon, Yoseob, and Juri, and found himself hanging out with Hyung Joon and Onew. The last two were pleasant company, and they asked him questions about being married as they wandered the streets.  
  
On their way back to the cafe, Alex realized he didn’t have any small gift to offer his future bride, so he stepped into a flower shop and bought a small bouquet of roses. The other two decided this was a good idea, so Hyung Joon bought a larger bouquet (Alex thought it was a bit excessive, but it would help him compare his wife’s reaction to see if she was petty enough to be jealous of the larger one instead of his smaller one), and Onew got a small handful of very colorful flowers.

 

Even though he had come feeling rather nonchalant about the whole thing, Alex felt a small twinge of nervousness as he stepped back into the cafe, not to mention trepidation at the knowledge that PD Na was the matchmaker. The three men sat quietly and greeted the others who joined them soon after. Onew visibly shuddered when Jung Juri stepped in. She immediately began to flirt with every man in the room, and reveled in the fact that she could make them all uncomfortable. Alex sniggered to himself. __

 

_Yes, this is going to be a very interesting show indeed._


	3. The Man With a Beautiful Face

The same time that morning, near that same cafe in Seoul...  
  
  
“So... This should be exciting!” Daesung said cheerfully.  
  
“Mm,” TOP replied neutrally.  
  
TOP could see from the corner of his eye that Daesung was studying his expression carefully. The fans would never know the tiny indicators, but Daesung knew TOP well enough to see the stiffness that implied extreme nervousness. TOP was considered by many to be cool and mysterious. The other members of Big Bang knew that beneath the cool facade he was constantly insecure and feared the day fans would see him for what he was.  
  
He was beautiful to everyone but himself. TOP saw only the chubby teenager he used to be every time he looked in the mirror. He saw the adjustments he had made to his body and the makeup he applied every day as a poor disguise for what he knew was an inconsequential human trying to make it in the idol world.  
  
TOP’s jaw clenched even tighter. He hoped that the girl he was partnered up with was talkative and assertive. He had a tendency to tell lame jokes or suggest lame activities that would totally reveal his true character, and would be absolutely unsuitable on the show. He really hoped he would get a girl who would be able to lead the two of them.  
  
He looked over at Daesung, who was now looking out the window of the car. Daesung was an incredibly strong person, he thought. He could smile and act like nothing was wrong even if the fans flung shit in his direction, or even if something bad had happened and he was breaking up inside.  
  
He felt a wave of sadness as he thought of what Daesung had been forced to smile through. Life had not been kind to him, particularly after the accident. TOP remembered Daesung hiding from everyone, so completely ashamed of what had happened.  Jiyoung had convinced TOP to accompany him to Daesung’s home. Daesung’s mom answered the door, hugging both of them -- it turned out she was the one who had asked for them to come -- and ushering them to Daesung’s bedroom. She placed a tray of food outside the door, just in case they managed to convince him to eat.  
  
Daesung didn’t answer when they knocked. His mom panicked, thinking perhaps he had finally decided to kill himself. Jiyoung had had the presence of mind to guide her to the living room and convince her to continue with the kimchi she was making. He turned on the trot music station to keep her focus in case she needed it. When he came back, TOP was already at work, picking at the lock, using the skill well that his dad had taught him from his army days. The door opened within a matter of minutes, and both men cautiously entered.  
  
They saw him lying on his bed, facing the wall. They hoped he was asleep. When they saw him, though, they feared the worst, since Daesung’s eyes were open and glassy. Jiyoung quickly touched his head, and TOP tugged at Daesung’s shoulder. Their relief was overwhelming when Daesung moaned and curled up into a ball, but they were still nervous about the fact that his face was still devoid of expression. Jiyoung climbed into the bed with him, pulling his face to his chest. TOP followed soon after, lifting the blanket and slipping in to curl around Daesung’s back. TOP reached over to squeeze Jiyoung’s shoulder, because he could see that their leader was close to having a panic attack.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours to them but was only a matter of minutes, their cuddling thawed the younger man, and he began to cry. Jiyoung, always good with words, whispered words of tenderness in his ear, telling him how much they loved him, missed him, how he was not a bad person, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc., while petting his hair. TOP simply nuzzled his nose into Daesung’s neck, and patted the younger man’s chest like he would to soothe a crying baby.  
  
They eventually managed to get him to sit up and accept a few bites of food. It took a few tries, since his throat and stomach were so stressed from crying he vomited a few times. He covered his face in shame, embarrassed beyond all else that he was showing weakness in front of two of a short list of people he would be mortified to disappoint. Jiyoung made sure he only said words of love and encouragement to show that Daesung could never disappoint them. TOP made sure to hug him and let him rest his head on his shoulder. Finally, Daesung got a few bites down.  
  
Needless to say, it was a long time before things got easier for any of them. Daesung got to the stage where he was able to force a smile in front of the other members of Big Bang, but Jiyoung was their most effective advocate of Daesung not hiding himself. He convinced the younger man that hiding his fears would only hurt the group, and that he was only allowed to smile if he sincerely meant it.  
  
Thankfully, that reassurance alone made the sincere smiles all the more easy to come to Daesung. TOP supposed Daesung had finally understood that he could trust himself, even all the klutzy parts, with the group, and they would sincerely love him no matter what. It also made TOP realize that he could trust himself with the group as well, and a close bond was formed between him and Daesung since both understood what intense insecurity felt like, and how important unconditional love was.  
  
TOP looked again at Daesung. Daesung looked at him. Daesung smiled and linked hands with TOP. “It will be fine,” he said soothingly.  
  
So TOP trusted him and let himself relax.  
  
\--------------------  
  
They arrived at the cafe within half an hour, and were told to wait a bit while PD Na was interviewing Onew. The only other person in the room was Jung Juri. She leered at them and TOP could feel his nervousness jump another level to nausea. He peered over at Daesung, who was pointedly looking elsewhere. TOP swallowed heavily. He decided right there and then that if Jung Juri had to end up with one of them, then TOP would take her. Daesung deserved someone sweet, kind, innocent, and understanding. At least, more so than she was. Juri was just scary.  
  
Without planning it, both men shivered simultaneously. They both smiled at each other knowingly.  
  
Soon, it was Juri’s turn. Lee Seunggi entered the cafe seconds later and bowed politely to everyone. He smiled at the two of them cheerily and turned to the cash counter and ordered a few coffees. TOP wondered why he didn’t just order one large cup, and then gave himself a mental slap when Seunggi and the waitress carried the coffees over to them and served them. Seunggi was being nice and buying coffees for his dongsaengs. TOP and Daesung peered over at each other, both wondering whether Daesung would drink the coffee, since he didn’t like it. In the end, both TOP and Daesung accepted graciously and Daesung took a careful sip just to be polite. They allowed Seunggi to sit with them. Just when he sat down and tried to begin a conversation, the conference room door opened and someone exited the conference room and approached them.  
  
“Would you two like to be interviewed together, or individually?” he asked politely.  
  
Daesung looked to his hyung for guidance. Eyeing the younger man’s coffee, TOP indicated that he should go on in first. Daesung stood up obediently and stepped in, purposely leaving the coffee.  
  
TOP, who loved coffee, muttered out loud something to the effect that he would drink the coffee since it would go cold if they waited for Daesung to come back. Normally, Seunggi would have suggested that they ask someone to take the coffee in to the conference room since Daesung had forgotten it, but he was distracted by his own nerves, so he didn’t think of it.  
  
They began a tentative conversation in which Seunggi did most of the talking while TOP enjoyed both drinks. By the time it was TOP’s turn, TOP’s impression of the other singer was that he was nice, but a bit of a know-it-all who unintentionally made others feel inferior. Or maybe that was TOP’s own inferiority complex speaking.  
  
The interview was short. TOP had made sure to mention he preferred assertive girls, but not frighteningly assertive like Juri. But if Na had to choose between giving Juri to him or Daesung, he would rather have Juri and let Daesung have someone better. He went on to say that if there was a nice, friendly girl with a similar personality to... oh, say, someone like Seunggi or Jiyoung... that would be better. Na thanked him for this last bit of information, since Daesung had seemed a bit unsure of what he wanted when he had spoken with him.  
  
 _That’s typical_ , TOP scoffed to himself as he stepped out the other door to join his friend. Daesung had a tendency of not allowing himself to be selfish enough to ask for good things. So in the end, he would leave the options open and let others decide whether he deserved something good or not. And he would accept whichever fate with a smile, as always.  
  
TOP let out an uncharacteristic series of tuts as he took Daesung’s hand and linked it through his own arm.  
  
“What?” Daesung asked, amusedly bewildered.  
  
TOP led him out the door to the streets. “Really now, Daesung-ah. Don’t you know enough to ask for someone good?” TOP teased.  
  
Daesung hung his head shyly. “Everyone’s already too good to me,” he responded shyly. “Anyone is better than I deserve.”  
  
TOP kicked him as he took a step, making Daesung stumble and giggle. “Listen to your hyung, Daesungie. You deserve far better than you think. And don’t you ever forget that,” he chided sincerely.  
  
“Thanks Hyung,” Daesung said quietly. “You too.”


	4. In Search of Sunshine

Slightly earlier that morning, at the SME dorms...

  
The morning was too cold, in Yunho’s opinion. He stepped from the chilly elevator into the poorly-lit parking garage that was located below the SME dorms. He shrugged his coat closer to his body trying to ignore how every time he breathed out, the mist of his breath would turn to icicles on the faux fur lining of the coat. He jogged quickly to where he knew the company car would be.  
  
Yunho was surprised when he reached the car to find Yesung and Onew there as well. The car was already on, and they huddled close to the slowly-warming heater as they waited. They were only mildly surprised to see him as well, since most of their surprise had been taken up by seeing each other first.  
  
“Is it just me, or does anyone else think there have been far too many SM idols appearing on WGM?” Yunho asked as the car got moving. He peered over slyly at Yesung. “And not just any SM idols, but Super Junior specifically?” He poked his hyung from the middle seat in the back.  
  
Yesung sniffed disdainfully. “I’m only doing this at Leeteuk-hyung’s suggestion. I’m this old and I’ve never really had a romantic relationship to speak of, so apparently I should be doing something about it. Even if it means entering a fake relationship.”  
  
“And what about your... ahhhh... condition?” Yunho nearly forgot that Shinee was not aware of a certain oddness about Super Junior. He winced when Onew looked at their hyung, confused by Yunho’s wording.  
  
Yesung glared at him. “I’ll have to get over it for now. What about _your_ condition?” he shot back challengingly. Onew looked at Yunho now.  
  
Yunho blushed, painfully reminded, and fully understanding how awkward it was to talk about this in front of a dongsaeng who didn’t know anything. “I’m over it, and trying to move on,” he replied, a bit irritated. He muttered, “I hadn’t said that to offend you, Hyung.  I just forgot.”  
  
Both Yesung and Yunho ignored each other for the remainder of the trip. Yunho felt sorry for Onew, who obviously didn’t know how to appease the situation, and was trying hard not to flail about in frustration. Onew nearly flew out of the car when they reached the cafe.  
  
What Onew didn’t realize was that their irritation was not sincere, but was the unfortunate by-product of being a bit grumpy in the mornings, especially when the morning was cold. The older men put on pleasant expressions as they stepped out of the car, so Onew was understandably confused by the sudden change of attitude. He smiled hesitantly when he saw things were now okay, then fully when Yesung congenially offered to buy them something to drink.  
  
Yunho thought Onew’s smile looked like sunshine. He smiled to himself, flipping through the images in his head of other people in his life who had sunshiny smiles. His mind paused on one, and he frowned a bit at the coldness that that particular smile evoked. It used to be so warm, but now... it was warm, but it didn’t warm him like it should have.  
  
He shook his head, and was grateful when PD Na came out and distracted him by talking with them. Apparently he was doing last-minute interviews and had just finished talking with Kevin of U-Kiss. Na asked if they would like to talk with him individually or collectively. Yunho ended up going in with Yesung, and Onew went in alone. According to their manager, Onew was the only one of the three who didn’t have to skip out for a schedule before the partnering commenced.  
  
When asked what he looked for in a spouse, Yunho’s mind invoked the word “sunshine” again. So he requested that his girl have a sunny smile and happy personality, someone who would warm his heart. Intrigued by his answer, Yesung responded in kind, and added that his girl be willingly blind to his obvious flaws.  
  
“Girls tend to be turned off by me because I’m not as smooth and cool as other men,” Yesung told Na, smiling sheepishly. He clarified, “I’m a bit difficult and awkward to get to know unless the other person is patient and able to be optimistic despite my gloomy nature.”  
  
Feeling sorry for his hyung, -- who was otherwise known as the master of self-pity-parties -- Yunho made sure he put in that Yesung was someone who demonstrated his affection by quiet gestures rather than flamboyant ones, therefore he should be paired with someone with a gentle and unpetty nature. Yesung nudged him in thanks.  
  
“The same goes for Yunho,” Yesung put in. “He treats everyone well and does not ask for much in return. In fact, he is sometimes embarrassed when someone takes notice of his kindness.” This was obviously true, given by how Yunho was fidgeting at the moment. “Please pair him with someone who will take good care of him, support him well, and will let him take care of her without making a big deal out of it.”  
  
When they were back in the car, leaving Onew behind, Yesung chided him once more, only more kindly this time, “Aigoo, why can’t you keep quiet sometimes Yunho-yah?”  
  
Yunho sighed in frustration, “Sorry Hyung. I was just trying to help. You don’t necessarily have the best of luck with lovers, you know.”  
  
Yesung must be the only one of his hyungs who was humble enough to admit that. “Yeah, I know,” he sighed. “You did well.” He patted Yunho on the shoulder.  
  
The silence passed somewhat awkwardly once more before Yunho got the courage to broach the subject once again. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”  
  
Yesung smiled sadly at his dongsaeng. “I’ve been without real love my whole life. I can deal with it for a while longer. It’s not as if I’m stuck with the woman for very long anyway. And you never know, maybe she’ll be someone cool, who will make a great friend. But there is one thing I’m really sad about,” he frowned. He looked at Yunho and pouted, “Why did _Onew_ have to come, too?” He sighed. “If only he liked men...”.  
  
Yunho patted his back sympathetically. Yesung gave him a small smile, before turning to “concerned-hyung” mode. “And you? Will you be okay?”  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Yunho replied confidently. “I’ve been over Jaejoong for a while now. And besides, our relationship had become pretty strained before JYJ’s break from the group, so I don’t think it would have lasted for much longer. I’m ready to move on. And it’s like you said, maybe the girls we will “marry” will become cool friends, eh?”  
  
“Absolutely right! To cool friends!” Yesung cheered, holding up his can of soda and clinking it with Yunho’s when he offered.  
  
Their individual radio and interview schedules went smoothly and quickly, and both were back at the cafe well before they actually needed to regroup. About five minutes before the meet-up, Onew skipped in with a small bouquet. He flopped into the chair between the two men, and Yunho saw Yesung glance wistfully at the bouquet, and then at Onew. Again, he felt sorry that Yesung never seemed to get the romantic life he always dreamed of, and especially sorry since he could clearly see that Onew would be the best partner for him right now, regardless of gender. And especially in regards to gender. Onew was the sort of kind, patient, and understanding person Yunho imagined would be good for Yesung.  
  
Yunho sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes for a bit, and was therefore not prepared for the surprise that walked in a few minutes later.


	5. Hello Sunshine

That same afternoon, at the same cafe in Seoul...

  
He hadn’t made it in time for the interview that everyone else had undergone, so he was left with whomever the director decided he should be with, regardless of his feelings. So he arrived at the cafe, two minutes before the pairing.  
  
He bowed to everyone there, being extra careful he had a smile on his face when he faced Yesung and Onew. Yesung nodded his head politely, and Onew flashed a shy smile. The only thing that indicated Yunho’s presence between them was their almost imperceptible twitch in his direction, wanting to make sure he was okay, but not wanting to alert anyone’s attention to him.  
  
Junsu didn’t know how he had missed him the first look-around. True, he was mostly covered up by a scarf, hat, and large coat, but even so, it was unmistakably Yunho. _He's only the first guy you’ve ever seriously crushed on_ , his inner voice scolded sarcastically. _Your “Yunho-radar” must have become weak the longer you’ve been away from him._  
  
He sat down hesitantly, still keeping the smile on his face, despite the sudden wave of nausea washing over him. Should he try to get his number? For Jaejoong, of course. Not for himself. _Tch, don’t kid yourself_ , teased the inner voice.  
  
 _Shut up. I hate you._ The inner voice chuckled obnoxiously.  
  
“Ah, Junsu-sshi. You’ve arrived,” noted PD Na, coming out of his conference room office. He beckoned to the younger man to hurry over to him. Junsu did so, and missed the look of startled surprise Yunho shot his way as he opened his eyes.  
  
Apparently PD Na wanted to interview him anyway, albeit briefly, given the time. He only needed a few questions clarified, and then three minutes after they were supposed to start filming the pairings, they began the actual filming.  
  
Once Junsu sat back down across from the three SME idols, PD Na stood at the front of the room and began speaking. “Thank you all for coming,” he said pleasantly, although given the collective shiver in the room, Junsu suspected this man was intimidating. He’d never worked with him before, but he knew his reputation for making his cast do strange things. Junsu looked quickly over at Yunho. In a way he was grateful if PD Na was really as eclectic as people said he was. If it meant he would order Yunho and Junsu to work together on something, regardless of reputations, then Junsu was grateful to have someone else take the responsibility.  
  
He felt a bit of hope dawning.  
  
“Can anyone here tell me what’s... _odd_ about this scene?” PD Na requested calmly, grinning toothily.  
  
A few others had noticed it, and Junsu was beginning to notice as well when Seunggi spoke up, “Hyung? Where are all the women? I thought we were going to get married on this show. What’s going on?”  
  
PD Na’s grin grew wider, and Junsu could see the evil glee in his face that many people had told him about. He shivered.  
  
“Maybe he’s promoting a reverse harem setting,” Juri piped up gleefully. “If that’s the case, then I’m looking forward to working with all of you.”  
  
“You wish,” Na shot her down smoothly. “I’m not promoting polygamy, but I am promoting something else that is just as controversial as that. With the exception of Juri and her “husband”, the rest of you will be experiencing life as married “gay” couples.”  
  
He kept grinning as everyone’s -- including Seunggi who had worked extensively with him before -- jaws dropped. Seunggi choked on the coffee he had been drinking, to which a stunned Yoseob patted his back supportively. Junsu couldn’t help but notice Yesung’s hopeful smile as his mouth opened, surprised. He hoped the older man got his wish, remembering his reputation among Super Junior as one being without luck in the love department, even though the entire group consisted of gay or bisexual members. Junsu’s hope grew as well, and he began praying frantically that he would get paired up with Yunho. He knew it would probably end up badly if he got his wish, but he couldn’t help it.  
  
A sniggering sound came from Junsu’s side, and when he looked, Alex was doubled over with tears streaming down his face.  
  
“Is something wrong, Alex-sshi?” Na asked slyly.  
  
It took a few moments for him to calm down enough to speak. “My parents are going to be _so mad_ ,” he commented, then submitted to giggles again. A few other people who had come on the request of their parents also began to laugh, including Yesung, Onew, Hyung Joon, Kevin, and Taecyeon.  
  
A few men looked disturbed by the idea of having a man as a spouse, particularly Yoseob and G.O. The rest looked uncertain, as if they couldn’t decide whether to be amused or if they should run away now while they had the chance.  
  
Their chance evaded them, though, when Na got down to business right then. “ _Now_ ,” he said, drawing everyone’s attention to him once again, “I will assign your spouses, and then you may all be off to explore your new relationships. I will start with the oldest: Alex.”  
  
Everyone looked at Alex expectantly. Alex looked at Na expectantly.  
  
“You are married to TOP.”  
  
Of course there would be a few sniggers directed toward the first-named couple. The situation was so bizarre, it was impossible not to succumb a bit to the hysteria that most of the cast were presently feeling. But everyone was astonished with the simultaneous snorts of laughter from both Alex and TOP. Surprised, both men’s left hand shot up to cover their mouths in a mirror image. The bafflement on their faces caused everyone else to laugh outright, and even Na wiped tears of mirth from his own eyes.  
  
“Ahhh... already a match made in heaven,” he commented, ducking the wad of paper Alex chucked at his head. “ _Hey_! You _asked_ for someone tall with slender legs and a beautiful face, and I gave him to you! No complaining!” TOP let his head drop in his hands in a rare show of embarrassment. Alex blushed.  
  
“Now for the next oldest: Yesung-sshi.” Yesung jumped, and automatically looked wary. Junsu crossed his fingers, sincerely hoping he got paired with a man, and a man he liked no less. “You are married to Onew.” Yesung’s smile was barely noticeable, but Junsu knew him well enough to know that he was exceptionally happy. Onew paled a bit, but didn’t look altogether displeased, Junsu noted. _So far, so good_.  
  
“Juri-sshi,” Na said, encouraging yet another shiver to pass through the room. Junsu crossed his fingers even tighter, absolutely terrified. “Congratulations on your marriage to G.O.-sshi.” Everyone except for G.O. breathed a sigh of relief. Junsu had no way of telling whether the younger man was uncomfortable with the news or not, since he maintained a perfectly neutral expression throughout the entire filming. Juri, of course, was happy. She patted his hand that was resting on the coffee table between them, and he made no move to pull it away when she took a firmer hold on it.  
  
Before Junsu could ponder this any further, Yunho’s name was called. Junsu’s mouth went dry, and his hands gripped the chair almost painfully. His eyes flicked once more to Yunho, who was sitting just as stiffly as he.  
  
“You asked for sunshine. There are quite a few men here who have rather bright personalities, and we weren’t sure who to pair you up with. Therefore, we are letting you choose your own spouse from those left in the line-up.” Na stepped back and let the attention fall on Yunho.  
  
Yunho looked uncomfortable, as he always did whenever he was alone or specifically spotlighted on the stage. Junsu’s heart sank as Yunho’s eyes wandered the room, smoothly bypassing him.  
  
 _The outlook doesn’t look good, Kiddo,_ his inner voice said sadly. The backs of his eyes prickled as he felt himself tearing up unwillingly.  
  
Then, just as Yunho finished skimming the room, he looked straight at Junsu. His eyebrows quirked a question, and apparently Junsu gave an answer without realizing it, because Yunho announced his intention to be married to Junsu a second later.  
  
“ _YES!!!_ ” Junsu shouted, fist-pumping the air. Immediately after, he regretted it, since he had only intended his inner voice to do that since no one else could hear that except for him.  
  
 _Way to go, idiot_ , chuckled the inner voice in response to the stunned silence of the room. Obviously no one had expected either man to be so enthusiastic about their pairing, given the strained history between DBSK and JYJ. But even so, Junsu noted the strangely relieved atmosphere, as if everyone hoped for this sort of result.  
  
He also didn’t miss the pleasantly surprised smile that flashed across Yunho’s face before being replaced by a carefully serious one. _Then again_ , his inner voice mused, _perhaps you’re not such an idiot after all...._  
  
“Now, as for the rest of you, I’ll need a few seconds to sort you out since I left it open for Yunho-sshi,” Na continued, successfully diverting attention from the strange silence. Junsu forced himself to focus, especially since his body was suddenly trembling from excited nerves. _Breathe in, breathe out,_ he chanted to himself with his inner voice.  
  
Na looked at his paper, then as an afterthought, he said, “Unless you want to request someone at this point in time, that is.”  
  
G.O. raised his hand. “Am I allowed to request someone else?” he said with dry cheekiness. Juri laughed and slapped his shoulder, to which G.O. huffed a small chuckle. _Perhaps he really doesn’t mind being near Juri,_ Junsu mused.  
  
“No,” Na replied equally dryly. “Those of you already assigned with people are stuck with what you’ve got. In fact, if you want to head out right now, you may.” He gestured to the cameramen in the back of the room, and they got ready to move.  
  
Junsu crooked an eyebrow at Yunho, who nodded. Simultaneously, both men stood up, walking toward exit of the cafe. Onew and Yesung also stood up, but more awkwardly and with cute gestures. Alex walked over to TOP, then leaned his head down as he listened to the younger man whisper something into his ear. He nodded and sat down next to him, presumably to wait until Daesung had been partnered.  
  
And G.O.... _Well, that settles it,_ Junsu’s inner voice concluded. _He definitely doesn’t seem to mind Juri_.


	6. My Dearest Femme-Fatale

That same moment, still in the cafe...

  
“...if you want to go ahead and head out, you may,” Na said. G.O.’s mouth twitched in a slight smile.  
  
As the other couples stood up to leave, G.O. held out his hand without looking at Juri. The lady grinned her Cheshire Cat grin and draped her fingers over his. His eyes shot over to her face, and he smiled back fondly, with a sense of mysteriousness that would make others wonder if they shared a secret.  
  
The truth was, they did have a secret. They were dating in real life. Their pairing was no coincidence. When they had heard who would be taking up directing this season’s WGM, they immediately went to him and offered themselves. PD Na had grinned like he had just won the lottery. He had mentioned something odd to them, though, saying their relationship wouldn’t be the strangest one featured on this season of the show.  
  
G.O. hadn’t seen how that could be, but as soon as the actual pairing began, he understood completely.  
  
If he didn’t already love his “wife”, he might have just gone up to PD Na and kissed him for his genius. G.O. liked it when people challenged daily norms. He liked it when it was done in such a way as to evoke surprised laughter, which helped to shift past the awkwardness flawlessly toward immediate acceptance.  
  
That was his goal by appearing on WGM with Juri: acceptance. A K-Pop idol with a girlfriend was never readily accepted, and G.O. knew that being with Juri would cause a lot of fans to lose their shit. They were already displeased with how well they worked together as a comedy duo, and seemed predisposed to believe that G.O. was only being polite in letting Juri act so forthright with him.  
  
But he wasn’t being polite. He truly enjoyed her assertiveness. He found it sexy even. He also found it attractive that deep down behind the reckless confidence was a genuinely kind woman. The dichotomy of the two personalities was a desirable quality to G.O., since he could neither accept a woman who was just creepily bold nor just sweet. Both were necessary.  
  
The problem was, only he and a few others were privy to her sweet side. Most people just saw the crazy persona she portrayed on screen. G.O.’s plan was to show the world Juri’s other half and see how wonderful she really was. WGM provided an additional benefit of placing them in a romantic light, so when the news of the reality of their situation became public, most of the fans would have the vision of them as a couple already planted in their minds.  
  
It would be difficult to get her to open up, though. G.O. looked over sidelong at his wife as they walked out of the cafe. Her femme-fatale mode was in full force, and getting her to drop the persona in favor of the sweet one would take nothing short of a miracle...  
  
... or lots of time. Which he had.  
  
“So. _Darling_. Where are you taking me?” Juri smirked at him.  
  
It was going to take a _lot_ of time.


	7. My Darling Sweetie

That same afternoon, in the market place near the cafe...

  
Juri felt like crawling into a dark hole and staying there for the rest of her life. She didn’t know how G.O. had managed to convince her to do this show. She half expected a hoard of screaming fans to come and rip her throat out at any moment.  
  
She covered her fears very well, though. She had trained herself at a very young age to portray only confidence, and that acting ability had gotten her to where she was today. She didn’t mind that the world laughed at her or teased her; she was used to it.  
  
It wasn’t until G.O. came along that she felt her childhood insecurities resurface. He was the first man since she met her current boss who didn’t react against her antics, but embraced them. At first, she didn’t like how he could be so smooth and nonchalant while she was being ridiculously creepy. Then, she took it as a challenge to see if she was capable of making him react.  
  
She enjoyed the challenge, but it never seemed to get her anywhere. At least, not until she was up late one night, drinking alone. Juri had a tendency to call male idols when she was drunk. That night, she punched in G.O.’s number.  
  
Juri had no recollection of what happened that night, or what she had said, but when she woke up at 3 a.m., G.O. was in her apartment, washing her dishes, as if he lived there. She had picked herself up off the floor, walked over to him, and stared at him blearily in the bright light.  
  
“What are you doing here?” she asked dully, finding it difficult to focus on him.  
  
“You called. I came,” he replied, pulling off the yellow rubber gloves and turning to the stove.  
  
Supremely shocked, she had to ask the question: “Why?”  
  
G.O. answered sincerely, “You sounded like you wanted company, so here I am.”  
  
“He’s a _sweetie_ ,” she had complained to her friend Shin Bong-sun later. “I _hate_ sweeties. They’re too sweet. That and I feel like shit whenever I pretend to be a smut around them. I _hate_ feeling like shit!”  
  
Bong-sun laughed at that before turning serious, “Be careful, Juri-ah. It’s usually the ones who make you feel like shit in that way that are the ones worth fighting to keep. Stop trying to scare him away.”  
  
Juri only laughed at Bong-sun’s strange comment.  
  
 _But it’s true_ , she thought, looking sidelong at her “husband”. _He really is a keeper_.  
  
Juri was grateful now that G.O. was not intimidated by her. She felt so at peace whenever he visited and genuinely listened to her stories.  
  
She had long since given up on acting creepy around him before WGM, but whenever cameras were around, she found herself shifting back to her alter-ego. Whenever cameras were around, and G.O. was also present, Juri would find herself in the bathroom later, dry-heaving in panic, conflicted over whether she should adopt her persona to fulfill everyone’s expectations of her, or to act like she normally would around G.O. to save face with him only.  
  
“ _Noona_ ,” he had said softly after one such shooting, and after surprising her with a kiss in the privacy of a trailer off-set. “You’re perfect just the way you are, but I understand the need to keep up your alter ego for the public. It would be too much of a shock for them if you suddenly switched to your nice mode.”  
  
She sputtered, surprised not only because he knew her fears spot on, but also because he seemed to know she was seeking his approval.  
  
 _And his love_ , she thought to herself.  
  
“How did you _know_?” she finally managed.  
  
G.O. smiled, caressing her cheek with his fingers. Her eyes suddenly felt droopy, and she found herself tilting her head back in the hopes of another kiss. G.O. leaned in, responding to her question before kissing her lips gently, “Sometimes it helps to have you drunk."  
  
She huffed against his lips once, then allowed herself to enjoy the kiss. _I’ll kill him later_ , she thought to herself, sinking happily into his warm embrace.  
  
 _Damn that man_ , she thought halfheartedly as they walked into a nice restaurant for an early dinner. He pulled out her chair, and she sat down as graciously as possible. She glanced quickly over the menu, decided what she would eat, then spent the rest of the remaining time grinning cheekily at her husband.  
  
Juri knew she was supposed to be letting herself relax, that it was part of the plan for the cameras to not only capture her gag woman self, but her true self as well.  
 _  
It’s so hard, though_ , she whined to herself as she fought the temptation to rub her toes along his leg just to goad the viewers. Instead, she asked him a simple, lame question of “What are you going to eat?” that was out of character enough to soothe the viewers without piquing a lot of bewildered interest.  
  
Then she blew her effort by reverting to femme-fatale mode.  
  
 _This is going to take a long time_ , she sighed to herself as G.O. patiently met her smarmy comments with ones equally ridiculous, as usual.


	8. Family Man

About the same time, back in the cafe...

  
Seunggi was fidgeting nervously in his seat. He eyes flicked around the remaining people in the room. PD Na was still working on his list, and Seunggi was wondering if he should take him up on his offer of being allowed to choose his partner.  
  
Honestly, though, he didn’t want any of them. He was amused by his hyung’s choice of theme and content in this season of the show, but he was concerned by what prompted him to choose that. There were usually reasons for PD Na’s madness, but this was rather extreme, even for him.  
  
Seunggi had agreed to be on this show; he had promised Na that he would. There was no backing out now. So, he was just going to do this as seriously as he possibly could.  
  
The young man closed his eyes and concentrated. He thought back to what he told his hyung about his preferences. It was important that he had a partner who was family-minded, and whose family or coworkers were close. He liked having a large group of people to bond with, and he figured that if his partner was good at keeping and maintaining friendships, then they would be good at holding together a family as well.  
  
He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, preparing himself to assess his options. He tried to imagine them as women, in the hopes that it would make his decision easier.  
  
He looked at Kevin and Yoseob sitting together. They were easiest to imagine as girls. _Kevin would make a sweet... husband_ , his thought forced. As a girly-man, though, Seunggi found him a bit disconcerting. And his group seemed like they might be a bit much to handle. Yoseob, on the other hand, would be more bearable. Beast seemed like they would be fun to hang out with.  
  
Seunggi couldn’t see the other three men as women, no matter how hard he tried. They all had too much muscle. Taecyeon was a cool guy, but Seunggi knew that if he married the younger man, then _he_ would become the “woman” in the relationship. That wouldn’t do. Seunggi needed to be the man. Also, the rest of 2PM were just... so... _intimidating_.  
  
He had hung out with Hyung Joon in the past. Thinking about SS501, Seunggi thought he might enjoy being their brother-in-law. But they were no longer together as a group, so he didn’t know how much outside interaction he would have if he were married to Hyung Joon. Seunggi liked him, but he was a bit socially awkward when it was just the two of them.  
  
Seunggi looked sidelong at Daesung, who was sitting two seats down from him, next to TOP and Alex. Daesung was... acceptable. _With Daesung, there would be lots of laughter_ , Seunggi thought. And Big Bang consisted of men who were independant, yet group-oriented.  
  
Then he thought of the accident, and suddenly Daesung was slightly less than acceptable. The man had a talent of being in accidents, and Seunggi didn’t know if he could handle that.  
  
He hated that he was being so unfairly judgemental, but the current situation was _so awkward_ , and Seunggi couldn’t help it. He looked at Yoseob again, and decided.  
  
Before he could get up to talk to PD Na, though, Alex was suddenly sitting next to him.  
  
“Hey,” he said congenially.  
  
“Hey,” Seunggi responded, feeling antsy because he felt obligated to talk to the older man, but really wanted to talk with Na. He forced himself to shut out all worries, though, and focus on Alex. “So, interesting show, huh?” Seunggi quipped, gesturing around the room.  
  
Alex laughed good-naturedly. He looked sidelong at his partner, who was still sitting quietly beside Daesung. “Yeah. Pretty interesting. So, do you have any idea who you would like to be partnered up with?” Alex asked suddenly.  
  
Seunggi stuttered a bit, not wanting to commit himself on film, but also desperately wanting something -- or rather, someone -- to commit to. “I’m not decided,” he responded finally.  
  
“Well,” Alex leaned in a bit, turning his voice down to a whisper, “Daesung’s pretty cool. I mean, he seems like he would be a good person to be with. Also, if you and he were together, that would make you my brother-in-law. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted a younger brother like you.”  
  
And just like that, Seunggi got the family connection he wanted. He was still concerned about the whole accident-prone thing, but the family.... He did think having Alex as a brother-in-law would be cool, along with TOP and the rest of Big Bang.  
  
At that moment, Na looked up and Seunggi finally managed to surreptitiously catch his eye. He flicked his eyes over at Daesung meaningfully. Without changing his expression, Na nodded slightly and erased something on his notebook, filling in the blank with something else.  
  
Seunggi relaxed, feeling relieved that he knew what was coming. Belatedly, he realized Alex was waiting for a response, so he quickly provided it, “Yeah, you too, Hyung.”  
  
“Okay!” Na spoke, getting everyone’s attention again. “Since no one had any requests within this period of time, I will assign the rest of the couples. And there will be _no_ complaints!”  
  
“Seunggi-yah, you will be paired up with Daesung,” he concluded. Seunggi reacted accordingly, and looked across Alex and nodded his head shyly and with a smile. Daesung did likewise, though more genuinely, it seemed. Alex lifted his hand and Seunggi high-fived him.  
  
The men changed seats to sit next to their respective spouses and waited patiently as Na announced the final pairings. Seunggi paid little attention to his partner during that time, partly because he was planning what they should do for the rest of the afternoon to please the viewers, but mostly because he was too nervous to face the immediate reality.  
  
When it was time to spend the afternoon together, Seunggi was no more comfortable with the situation than before. He stood up and faced his partner, and made ready to suggest an afternoon meal. To his relief, Alex suggested it first, and proposed a double date as well.  
  
 _Thank you, Hyung!_ Even though he had no idea how to proceed, he was grateful to have Alex as a guide, at least.  
  
When he saw Alex offer an arm to TOP, Seunggi followed his lead and offered his own arm to Daesung. Daesung giggled nervously as he accepted.  
  
And with that, they went out into the marketplace.


	9. D-Lite-ful Blessings

Later that evening, after filming...  
  
  
“So... that was exciting,” TOP commented, nudging Daesung.  
  
Daesung shifted awkwardly in his seat, smiling nonetheless. “Yeah, it was,” he replied, looking out the window of the car.  
  
TOP nudged him again. “What did you think of Seunggi-sshi?”  
  
Daesung thought for a moment. “He’s... nice. He’s too good for me, though,” Daesung added, thinking of how well his husband took care of everything, and treated him like a prince for the duration of filming. Daesung had tried to reciprocate, tried to find ways of supporting him the way a spouse could, but in the end he felt insignificant. _Seunggi didn’t really need a partner_ , Daesung thought, _because he’s already perfect and complete by himself_.  
  
TOP saw Daesung’s sudden insecurity in the way the younger man was picking at the fringe of his shirt. “Talk to me,” he demanded. “What’s troubling you?”  
  
Daesung gulped heavily and blushed. “I don’t think I can do much for him. You know how relationships are ideally supposed to complement each other, even if the people are different from each other?” TOP nodded. “Well, Seunggi-sshi seems fine on his own. I don’t want my partner to be suffering, but I had hoped that maybe I could be somewhat useful,... or be a blessing, somehow,” he admitted.  
  
“Everyone’s a blessing to everyone, even though it doesn’t always show,” TOP reassured him. “You’ve always been a blessing to us, and you’re bound to be a blessing for a snob like him.”  
  
Daesung looked over, shocked that TOP would say such a thing. “A _snob_?” he asked, voice squeaking in disbelief.  
  
TOP peered over at him. He shrugged, “That was the impression I got of him, anyway. He’s got skills, but he doesn’t seem to know how to use them properly. He’s overly polite, and sometimes he seems to use it in place of sincerity.” TOP looked directly into his eyes now, very serious, “ _You_ are too good for _him_. Don’t let him walk over you and make you think you’re insignificant.” His eyes took on a distant look before returning to the present. He smiled slowly, “Y’know, I’ve just figured out one way you’re already being a blessing to him.”  
  
Daesung watched him expectantly.  
  
“You have a way of making everyone express themselves more sincerely, and Seunggi-sshi needs to learn humility so he can be more sincere. Don’t worry, Daesung-ah. You’ve got _exactly_ what he needs.”  
  
Daesung pouted slightly, not believing TOP knew what he was talking about. TOP seemed confident, though, sitting back fully in his seat with a self-assured expression.  
  
Not wanting to talk about his own relationship anymore, Daesung turned the conversation around, “What about you? How do you feel about Alex?”  
  
“He’s... nice,” TOP stated.  
  
Daesung waited a few seconds before nudging the older man. “And?” he prompted.  
  
TOP frowned in thought. “He reminds me a bit of Seunggi-sshi,” he admitted, “but it’s like he’s looking for approval of some sort by being so perfect.”  
  
Daesung thought back to earlier in the day, when they were wandering the marketplace again. Alex had been polite toward TOP, much like Seunggi had been to Daesung. But he had been more interested in TOP’s opinions, Daesung realized, as opposed to Seunggi’s assuming nature. Alex asked TOP his opinion on matters and reacted accordingly, whereas it seemed Seunggi was acting according to something he had read from a textbook.  
  
He looked at the flowers in his hands, then over at the roses that TOP had received. He finally understood why he felt disappointed about his own flowers. Even though Alex had bought the roses for TOP out of a sense of obligation, he had seemed genuinely hopeful that TOP would like them and cherish the thought. When Seunggi bought his flowers, he seemed to assume Daesung would like them and cherish the expression. He didn’t ask if Daesung liked them or anything. He just assumed.  
  
Feeling thoroughly put down by himself, Daesung finally responded, “It’s not _wrong_ to hope for approval.” Then he grinned over at TOP, deciding to poke at him a bit, “ _You_ were doing a fair bit of things in the hopes of getting some “approval” yourself.”  
  
TOP pursed his lips and blushed. He looked down at his hands shyly. “Yeah, well... I remembered hearing about how his previous “wife” never seemed to reciprocate, and figured his efforts should be rewarded this time around, even if my efforts are lame in comparison.”  
  
“Tch!” Daesung snorted. TOP looked over, surprised. “You didn’t see his smile when you offered to share your ice cream cone with him,” Daesung explained. “Or when you agreed to play another round of Pac-Man with him, or when you took one of your roses and prepared it so it would fit comfortably in his lapel button, or when...”.  
  
TOP covered his dongsaeng’s mouth, laughing. “Enough! Enough!”  
  
Once their chuckles died down, Daesung looked over gleefully. “Hey, Hyung, you wanna watch old WGM episodes when we get back to the dorm?”  
  
“Sure. And maybe an episode or two of 2D1N?” TOP suggested.  
  
Daesung nodded enthusiastically.


	10. Bad News

Also later that evening, in Hyung Joon’s apartment...  
  
  
Hyung Joon’s hands shook as he washed his face. When he looked into the mirror, his face was extremely pale.  
  
The front door slammed, and Hyung Joon jumped and hurriedly got the towel to dry his face. “Hyung! Are you home?” Kibum called out.  
  
“Yeah, I’m home!” Hyung Joon responded, coming out of the bathroom to face his younger brother.  
  
 _Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic...._  
  
“How was your day?” Kibum asked pleasantly, putting his bag down on the floor next to the sofa before flopping down on said sofa.  
  
“Um,” Hyung Joon replied, voice breaking, unable to hide his nervousness. He made his way over to the sofa and knelt on the floor in front of Kibum.  
  
“Hyung? What’s wrong?”  
  
Haltingly, Hyung Joon explained his situation. Kibum’s eyes widened in excitement when he heard that Hyung Joon was on WGM, then widened more in shock at the news about the gay treatment.  
  
“Whoa” was all Kibum could say to that. He said in a more impressed manner than Hyung Joon would care to admit.  
  
“So, uh, who’s the guy?”  
  
Hyung Joon’s vision went black for a moment as he thought back to earlier in the day.  
  
 _Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic...._  
  
\---------------------  
  
“Hyung Joon,” Na announced, looking at his papers. Hyung Joon’s stomach lurched sickeningly. His hands were sweating like mad.  
 _  
Oh please oh please oh please..._ , he prayed desperately.  
  
There was only one person he really wanted. He had been relieved when each pairing was sounded off, and the one he wanted was still available, but he also grew more nervous the closer he got. There were three men left, and he really hoped Na had chosen the right one.  
  
He slapped himself mentally while he prayed. He should have gone up to Na and told him what he wanted when he had a chance. But _no_ , Hyung Joon was an eternal _coward_. After years of being teased for his habit of speaking his mind, and consequently years of denying every comment as being a joke, Hyung Joon had trained himself to not make himself so vulnerable.  
  
So here he was, fidgeting in his seat, simultaneously praising himself and hating himself for his newfound self-restraint.  
  
 _Coward_ , he scolded himself. _Wussy, idiot, fool...._  
  
No matter what Na said, Hyung Joon would probably continue hating himself for chickening out. Probably. Maybe not, if Na had picked the right one.  
  
“Your partner is Kevin.”  
  
\----------------------  
  
“It’s Kevin,” he announced, watching Kibum’s expression closely.  
  
Kibum’s face became grim. Hyung Joon didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what that meant.


	11. Great News

Also later that evening, after filming, in U-Kiss’s dorm...  
  
  
Kevin burst into the dorm, kicking off his shoes and tossing his backpack carelessly to the side. As he walked quickly toward the bathroom, he was tackled from behind from one of his members who had gathered around the dining table. He was dragged to the table and forced to sit down.  
  
“Hyung! Hyung! Who was it?” Dongho asked excitedly. “We tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”  
  
Kevin knew that. He had purposely ignored all calls from U-Kiss, because he wasn’t prepared to tell them yet.  
  
“You’ll see,” he responded, trying to get up. Soohyun pushed him back down, and he pouted at their leader. “I need to _pee_!” he protested, squirming in discomfort.  
  
Soohyun let him go. Everyone knew not to get in the way of Kevin’s notoriously small bladder and the bathroom. Kevin rushed into the bathroom and locked the door.  
  
He leaned against the door and sighed, his breath puffing upward to blow the fringe of his bangs. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm his heart. That didn’t work, though.  
  
As quietly as he could, he hopped around excitedly, dancing happily and fist-pumping the air, cackling to himself. “ _I’ve got Hyung Joon! I’ve got Hyung Joon! I’ve got Hyung Joon!_ ” he chanted, mouthing the words but not voicing them.  
  
He was grinning like a madman when he looked into the mirror. He laughed so hard tears began to fall from his eyes. Soon, though, the tears were a result of overwhelming panic, and he clasped his hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide the strangled screams.  
  
A knock came from the door and Soohyun asked if everything was okay.  
  
“Fine! I’m fine!” Kevin called back, turning on the water and washing his tear-streaked face vigorously.  
  
“Are you sure?” Soohyun asked, concern clearly coloring his voice.  
  
Kevin was about to snap at him with another “it’s okay”, but he realized suddenly that Soohyun was exactly the person who would understand his situation. He would understand how Kevin felt, and Kevin really needed someone to talk to.  
  
“Are you alone?” Kevin called, quietly enough so only the person on the other side of the door would hear.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Kevin unlocked the door and pulled it open enough to let the older man in. Soohyun took one look at his face, and instantly pulled him in for a hug, disregarding the fact that Kevin’s face was still wet.  
  
“Was it that bad?” Soohyun prodded, rubbing his hand in circles on Kevin’s boney back.  
  
“No,” Kevin choked. “It was... _perfect_. But it isn’t going to last, and I want it to last.”  
  
“Why is that?” the older man crooned rocking gently.  
  
Kevin sniffed, and swallowed loudly before he shakily answered that question. “The director is crazy and he’s got the show going on a gay theme this season. I’m paired up with a guy that I really like, but I doubt he likes me in the same way.”  
  
Soohyun stiffened, then pulled back suddenly to look into Kevin’s eyes. “Wait. You like _guys_?”  
  
“I... well, I’m bi, but currently I like a guy. I’ve liked this guy for... _God_ , I have no idea how long it’s been.”  
  
Soohyun’s mouth opened and closed abruptly multiple times before he choked out, “Congratulations? I’m sorry?”  
  
Kevin laughed mirthlessly and looked down at the floor sadly.  
  
Having gotten over his surprise a bit, Soohyun squeezed his shoulders sympathetically. “May I have the honor of knowing who it is?” he smiled at Kevin.  
  
Kevin looked at him seriously. “It’s Hyung Joon-hyung.”  
  
Soohyun’s smile faded instantly. His eyes took on a distant look momentarily before refocusing in a cold smile. “Congratulations,” he said.  
  
“Sorry, Hyung,” Kevin said sadly.  
  
“Why?” Soohyun asked, honestly confused.  
  
Kevin looked back down at his feet, scuffing his foot nervously. “We, um, we all know you really loved Kibum-hyung. I realize this might make things uncomfortable again. So... sorry.”  
  
Soohyun looked at him blankly, then smiled hesitantly in an attempt to look clueless, “I... what? What are you implying?”  
  
“We all knew about you and Kibum-hyung. Why do you think you two got to share rooms so often? Because of your awesome persuasive skills? _Pssh_!”  Kevin rolled his eyes teasingly.  
  
Soohyun choked in stunned silence once again before forcing out, “How did you know that? Why did no one _tell_ me? What the hell!”  
  
Kevin smiled apologetically. “We were worried our knowing might scare you two apart. You know how Kibum is, er, was. He was always so self-conscious about showing his true feelings, he was more likely to suppress them than let everyone know. We figured that so long as he had you, we didn’t have to worry about him becoming a robot.”  
  
Soohyun’s eyes suddenly became sad, and Kevin instantly regretted saying anything. He remembered back to the sudden news of Kibum’s departure from the group, and Soohyun’s reaction of closing himself off to the world. It had taken weeks of prodding before any of them could get him to confess to missing Kibum as a best friend at least. Kevin remembered trading off with the others to be the one to hold their leader for the night as he wept bitterly into his pillow, giving up his dignity and allowing himself to be supported by his remaining friends.  
  
“I see,” Soohyun said quietly.  
  
Suddenly scared, Kevin grabbed his hand, shaking the older man out of his reverie. “Hyung,” he said seriously, “Don’t go back. I mean, don’t close yourself off again, please. We love you. We’ll help you through anything. _Anything_.” Kevin gasped, an idea suddenly forming. He smiled conspiratorially, surprising the older man enough to stop being gloomy for a moment. “In fact, suddenly I’ve got a really great opportunity to reconnect with Kibum and mend relations. I can even-”.  
  
“Don’t!” Soohyun panicked. He swallowed heavily. “I know what you’re trying to do Kevin, but it won’t work. Kibum and I... we’re done. Thanks, but no thanks.”  
  
“Hyung, have you even _tried_ to mend things with him?”  
  
“I... tried. He wouldn’t talk with me,” replied Soohyun sadly.  
  
Kevin squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry, Hyung,” he said, pulling the older man in for another hug, consoling him this time.  
 _  
This isn’t the end of the matter,_ Kevin thought as he finished washing his face later and stepped out of the bathroom to greet his curious band mates. _I’ll get Kibum-hyung and Soohyun-hyung to talk somehow_.


	12. An Awkward Situation

Also later that evening, after filming, outside Beast’s dorm...  
  
  
Taecyeon let him out at the curb of his dorm, staying to watch that he made it inside safely. When he made it within Beast’s apartment, he pulled out his phone and called the older man, “I made it in safely,” he said, encouraging him to go on home. _It was really sweet of him to worry about him getting home without being bombarded by the random stalker fans_ , Yoseob thought, _but it made everything all the more awkward_.  
  
He sighed and tucked the phone into his pocket. Then, yet another worry walked around the corner and lifted his eyebrows expectantly.  
  
“ _So_ ,” Kikwang chirped excitedly. “How was it?”  
  
Yoseob sighed again and went to hug his friend. “I’m so sorry, Kiki,” he said, genuinely sorry.  
  
“Why?”  
  
“The director is evil and decided to put a new spin on WGM, turning it into a gay theme this season,” Yoseob stated, in all seriousness.  
  
Kikwang laughed, then stopped short when he saw Yoseob’s pitiful expression. “You’re kidding, right?”  
  
Yoseob’s lower lip jutted out in a pout as he shook his head. Kikwang’s face twitched as his own mouth sank wider open in astonishment with each passing second.  
  
Then, to Yoseob’s surprise, Kikwang let out a huge, belly-laugh, reducing to snorting chortles just as quickly. He fell onto the floor, flapping his legs gleefully. Dongwoon entered the room and walked up to Kikwang’s prone figure, looking down with a mildly bewildered expression, then at Yoseob.  
  
Finally, while still bubbling with laughter, Kikwang dragged himself up and fell onto Yoseob’s shoulders. He sniggered out an apology.  
  
“Hyung? What did you do to make Kikwang-hyung laugh like that?” Dongwoon finally asked.  
  
Yoseob sighed, then instructed the maknae to call in the other members. Once they were all gathered in the living room, Yoseob informed them of his plight.  
 _  
The world hates me_ , Yoseob thought as he watched the rest of the members laugh him to scorn.  
  
“Seobie! You _poor_ fellow! You have to suffer the gay life in the place of our token gay member!” Hyunseung cackled, punching Kikwang playfully in the arm.  
  
Kikwang wiped the tears in his eyes, face red from all the laughing he was doing. “Aigo, but I don’t envy him,” he commented breathlessly.  
  
Everyone looked at him, surprised. Baffled, Yoseob asked, “Why not? If it had been you and not me, you would have been able to experience a publicly gay life for a little while, even though it’s still a fake relationship.”  
  
“But that’s just _it_ , Seobie,” Kikwang stated, “I’m stubborn enough to want a real relationship instead of the benefit of a publicly gay life. I would be content to stay private, if only to be with the one I love.”  
  
“But you don’t have a boyfriend,” Junhyung commented, confused.  
  
Kikwang blushed, hanging his head low, suddenly finding great interest in his hands. “Yeah, well, I may not have a boyfriend, but there’s someone I like. I’d prefer to be faithful to him, even though we aren’t in a relationship and probably never will be.”  
  
Yoseob fidgeted on the floor, wringing his hands. “Um... Kiki-”.  
  
“Don’t worry, Seobie,” Kikwang interrupted, winking at him, “I’m over you now. I’ve liked someone else for a long time now.”  
  
“Wait. Wait wait _wait_...” Hyunseung said, face splitting into a grin as if he had just received the juiciest news ever. He leaned forward eagerly, glancing back and forth between Kikwang and Yoseob. “You mean, it was _Yoseob_ you had liked before?” He resumed his cackling while Yoseob blushed and Kikwang rolled his eyes.  
  
Doojoon’s brows knitted together in confusion, “Then, if it isn’t Yoseob now, then who is it?”  
  
“You would like to know, wouldn’t you,” Kikwang answered noncommittally, waggling his eyebrows at everyone else.  
  
Hyunseung collected himself before asking Yoseob the question that was most definitely on everyone’s mind, “So, who’s the unlucky man?”  
  
Yoseob pursed his lips and borrowed the line from Kikwang, “You would like to know, wouldn’t you.”  
  
Hyunseung pouted. Then, by some further stroke of bad luck, Yoseob’s phone rang. He pulled it out, saw the number, then hastily muted the ring tone and attempted to shove it back into his pocket. The other members noticed, and made a mad dash for the phone. Yoseob screeched as the phone was yanked out of his hand by Dongwoon as Kikwang tackled him. Hyunseung snatched it from Dongwoon and hit the “answer” button.  
  
“Yeoboseyo?” he answered breathlessly. The room had gone suddenly quiet in anticipation, although Yoseob was still struggling to get up. Junhyung calmly walked over and lay down on top of the younger man, helping Kikwang hold him down.  
  
Hyunseung hit the speakerphone option as the person on the other end answered. There was a commotion from the other end as well.  
  
“Yeoboseyo? Who is this? May I please speak with the wife?” the voice said as another voice in the distance was shouting, “ _Goddammit_ turn it _off_! _Noooooo_!!!!”  
  
“I’m sorry, but I am a brother of the “wife”,” Hyunseung replied mischievously. Yoseob whimpered. “Who is this?”  
  
“I’m a hyung of the husband’s.” Then the voice on the other end took on a desperate tone, “Quickly! Please tell me who she is-”. There was a loud crackle from the other end as the other man was cut off. A series of thumps and yells ensued, and finally a door slammed, leaving everyone in utter silence for a moment.  
  
“Yeoboseyo?” a deep voice whispered.  
  
Kikwang clapped a hand over Yoseob’s mouth as he tried to verbally protest. In his best Yoseob impersonation voice, Hyunseung replied, “Yeoboseyo? Is everything okay over there?”  
  
The deep voice sighed. “Yeah, sorry about that. My group members aren’t very tactful. Although it is my fault, I suppose. I shouldn’t have labelled your phone number as “Jagiyah”, like you had said.”  
  
Hyunseung and the rest couldn’t help it. They let out another series of screeching laughs over Yoseob’s new nickname.  
  
“Wait, Yoseob-sshi?” the other voice questioned, suddenly realizing the situation. Within seconds, the other person wisely disconnected the call, leaving the members of Beast alone to laugh their hearts out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeoboseyo: "Hello", Koreans answer phone calls with this phrase  
> Jagiya: means "Darling"


	13. An Even More Awkward Situation

At the same time, at the other end of the line in 2PM’s dorm...  
  
  
Taecyeon sighed, mentally beating himself up for being so stupid. _Pabo_ , he thought to himself as he locked his phone like he should have done before.  
  
He contemplated opening the door and answering the questions of his band mates, but he was quite mad at them, so he decided to let them wonder until the episode aired two weeks later. Feeling better immediately, he made his way to his bed, pulling out his laptop to surf the web.  
  
After a few minutes of looking up Yoseob on Youtube and envying his cuteness, his partner called him. Cautiously, he answered, “Yeoboseyo?”  
  
“Yeoboseyo!” the voice answered breathlessly. There was a series of banging at the other end, much like the banging that had happened on his door once Taecyeon had fled to his room. “Are you alone? Is it safe to talk?”  
  
“Maybe. It all depends on if this is who I think it is...,” Taecyeon replied, still suspicious.  
  
“We shared a bowl of jajjangmyun and a bowl of kimchi soup this afternoon for dinner,” Yoseob supplied, proving his identity. “You?”  
  
Taecyeon thought for a moment. “You were sitting closest to Na PD-nim during the partnering. You and I were the last couple to be paired up.”  
  
Yoseob sighed. “I’m sorry about my guys,” he apologized. “They can be such _assholes_ sometimes.”  
  
“Mine, too. Sorry about that,” Taecyeon returned. “They pounced as soon as I got home, and it turns out I had forgotten to lock my phone. They looked up my recent call history and noticed the number labelled as “Jagiyah”, and all went to shit from there, as you well know.”  
  
A snort came from the other end. “Yeah, I know.” He sighed again.  
  
There was awkward silence after that. Desperately, Taecyeon searched for something to talk about, and his next idea came from the video he had just been viewing. “So, I was thinking,” -- he hadn’t really, but that was besides the point -- “maybe we should call ourselves the “Aegyo Couple” or something, since we both have a tendency of being cute-”.  
  
“Um, Taecyeon-sshi?” Yoseob interrupted. “I-I’m sorry, but... well... this is all very awkward, isn’t it? I’m not sure I can do this,” he said faintly.  
  
“Oh,” was all Taecyeon could say. “I see.”  
  
Yoseob continued, talking faster now, “So, um, I’ll call Hong Seung-Sung-hyung and let him know, and you could maybe call Park Jin-Young-sshi?”  
  
“Yeah, sure,” Taecyeon said blankly.  
  
“Um, okay. Sorry again. Um. I’ll be hanging up now.” And with that, Yoseob disconnected the call.  
  
Taecyeon lay his head on his pillow, staring at the bunk above him bleakly. He thought of the day he had just had, and tried to understand why his heart was hurting. The answer came to him in an instant, and he felt like crying.  
  
He wasn’t gay himself, but he had had a close friend from his middle-school days who was. His friend had suffered so much, being openly gay, and Taecyeon hated himself for being a coward and always standing back. He never knew what to do to help his friend, and in the end he grew distant, deeming himself unfit to be called a friend.  
  
As today had progressed, he had begun to formulate a plan. His plan was to essentially flip off the world for its anti-gay sentiments, and try to support gay life by portraying it in a positive light. _He could do this_ , he told himself. He could do this and support his friend in a way that he was capable of doing. It was his way of redeeming himself.  
  
But now he couldn’t do that. Because Yoseob had chickened out. Gritting his teeth, he gathered the last of his courage and called Yoseob once more.  
  
Thankfully, Yoseob answered. “Yeoboseyo?” he answered nervously.  
  
“I’m sorry, Yoseob-sshi, but would you please reconsider?” Taecyeon asked, his heart beating frantically as his panic threatened him to lose his courage again.  
  
“...Why?”  
  
Taecyeon took a deep breath. “Do you have any gay friends?”  
  
“...Maybe.”  
  
“I had one long ago, and I fucked up the friendship pretty bad. I had no idea how to support him, and I still don’t. But I just thought... maybe... I could make it up somehow by doing... this.” Even to his own ears, that explanation sounded lame.  
  
The pause was so long, Taecyeon began to wonder if Yoseob had hung up on him. Finally, Yoseob spoke, “So, you want me to continue filming with you, so you can... apologize somehow to your friend? Do you realize what you’re asking me to do? I’ve heard horror stories about what happens to gay people, and you know the fans: some will completely disregard the fact that we’re only filming a show, and they’ll treat us badly like we’re a real gay couple.” Yoseob’s voice broke at the end, his panic evident. Taecyeon winced as he continued, “ _Yes_ , Taecyeon-sshi, I know of at least one gay person, and although I sympathize with him, I don’t want to _be_ him. I don’t want to run the risk of my family disowning me. I don’t want to be hunted down by the fans. I just want to live a normal, heterosexual life the way I was supposed to. I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I’m sorry.” And with that, Yoseob hung up on him again.  
  
Taecyeon swallowed heavily and closed his laptop, shoving it beneath his bed once more. He ducked under the covers and fitfully attempted to tell his feelings of guilt and shame to fuck off.  
  
He gave up after a while, and took a few sleeping pills instead. As he drifted slowly into dreamland, he came to a decision: he wouldn’t give up the show even if Yoseob did. They would find another partner for him, he was sure.  
  
And with that, he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pabo: "idiot"  
> jajjangmyun: the most awesome comfort food there is, of course  
> kimchi: cabbage fermented with a red spice  
> aegyo: "cute"  
> Hong Seung-Sung: head of CUBE Entertainment  
> Park Jin-Young (otherwise known as JYP): head of JYPE


	14. The Most Wonderful Man on the Planet

Later that same evening-- or rather, early the next morning in SME’s dorm...  
  
  
Onew staggered up to the elevator at the base of SME’s dormitories. He fell just short of it, landing with a loud thud. He giggled as Yesung reached under his armpits and pulled him to a standing position again. Yesung was better able to handle his liquor than Onew, but he was barely able to aim his finger correctly to jab at the button of the elevator himself.  
  
Once inside, Yesung told the manager outside that he would take care of Onew. The doors closed.  
  
It took all his might to remain standing and support Onew’s weight at the same time. He leaned back against the wall and rested his head on Onew’s, absently enjoying the smell of the younger man’s hair. He didn’t immediately realize it, but he was enjoying the close proximity to Onew a bit more that he should have allowed himself.  
  
 _Why are my pants so tight?_  
  
Yesung looked down.  
  
 _Oh._  
  
He took some deep breaths trying to clear his mind of sexy thoughts. The elevator stopped at that moment, and Yesung hurried out, dragging along the oldest Shinee member behind him. He propped the younger man against the wall as he typed in the passcode on the keypad to the door of Super Junior’s dorm. Once the door opened, they stumbled inside.  
  
Yesung had deposited Onew onto his bed and gone out to get a drink of water before remembering that Onew didn’t belong in Super Junior’s dorm, but in Shinee’s dorm. He turned around so he could remedy the situation.  
  
But Leeteuk was blocking the way.  
  
“ _Sooooo_... How was it?” he asked, crossing his arms.  
  
“Fine,” Yesung slurred. Then he grinned. “ _Better_ than fine, actually. Hyung, the director’s a genius! _Genius!_ He paired me up with a man. And not just any man, either. Oh no! He gave me the most _wonderful_ man on the planet!” Yesung gestured rather largely, causing him to stumble and requiring Leeteuk to grab him to support him.  
  
The leader grinned at him. “I’m glad to hear that,” he said pleasantly.  
  
Yesung glared at him. Even though he had a tendency to babble while drunk, he was not necessarily stupid. He was sharp enough at that moment, in fact, to note that his leader’s grin had a certain smirk to it. “Hyung,” he said, suspicious. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?”  
  
“I may have mentioned something to Na PD-nim about how awesome it might be to have a gay couple on the show, y’know, for giggles. I figured he might be crazy enough to go for it.”  
  
Yesung took a moment to decide whether he liked or hated his leader right now. Since he was currently married to a really hot guy, he chose to like his leader. “Hyung, I think I like you. Not as much as I like Jinki, but I like you. Yer smart.”  
  
“Jinki, huh?” Leeteuk’s grin became more sincere. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Now, if you like me so much, would you please drink that water and go to bed so you get plenty of sleep for tomorrow’s activities?”  
  
“Sure, but Hyung...”. Yesung’s brow furrowed in thought. He looked at his hyung concerned. “Will everything be okay? The world won’t kill us for doing something like this, will they?”  
  
“Don’t worry, Yesung-ah, we have a plan,” Leeteuk confided.  
  
“We?”  
  
“Yes. Our dear Heechul, Master of Public Relations, is on your side. He’s currently on the Internet with a few other members leaking information and getting the public ready for what’s to come. I can’t guarantee perfect results, but you can rest assured that we’re on your side. And Na PD-nim as well, because he gave us the okay for this sabotage,” Leeteuk winked. Then he leaned in conspiratorially, “But only _he_ gave us permission, so I don’t think anyone else in the crew or higher up knows about this. In other words, just pretend like you don’t know okay?”  
  
“O _kay_!”  
  
Yesung lifted his glass of water in a toast, then chugged it whole-heartedly. Before he walked away to his room, he had the presence of mind to fill it up with more water and plunk the bouquet of flowers Onew had given him into it, even though it was probably too late for the flowers. He stumbled to his room and carefully placed his flowers next to the turtle tank. He turned and stared at Onew and contemplated his earlier plan of relocating the younger man. In the end, he just shrugged and climbed into bed with him.  
  
 _It’s not as if I’m going to molest him. I’m not that kind of drunk,_ Yesung thought to himself as he wrapped his arm around his husband’s slender waist and buried his nose in his neck. _God, he smells good..._


	15. Reality Check

Later that morning, but still very early, in Yesung’s bed...  
  
  
Onew woke up with a massive headache, and a desire to puke. He opened his eyes blearily and suddenly realized he was not in his own bed. He began to panic, since nothing of his surroundings looked familiar. And then, his eyes landed on a familiar object.  
  
 _The flowers._  
  
Then he saw the turtle tank and it dawned on him that he was in Yesung’s room. Memories of the previous day flooded him, and his head swam sickeningly. He made to move out and toward the bathroom, but was stopped by an arm gently squeezing his waist. He looked down, then turned his head carefully around to look at his bed-mate.  
  
He wasn’t really surprised to see Yesung in his own room, but he was perplexed as to why his sunbae would bring him to his room rather than take him to Shinee’s dorm one more level up.  
  
 _We were both rather out of it last night_ , Onew thought as he tried again to stand up. Yesung tugged again, but didn’t press the issue as Onew slid to the floor. _Now, where’s the bathroom?_  
  
Unable to stand up because of his spinning head, he staggered on his hands and knees to the door and peered out. Now it looked familiar, since he had visited other rooms of Super Junior in the past. He made it to the bathroom without much trouble, relieving himself by puking all the crap he had consumed earlier in the evening. He rinsed his mouth as best he could, and squeezed a bit of someone’s toothpaste onto his finger and scrubbed at his teeth. After he rinsed his mouth one last time, he leaned on the sink for a bit and looked at his reflection in the mirror.  
  
 _So, married to a man, huh?_ , he mused to himself. His reflection looked back at him, confused. Onew shook his head, still unable to wrap his head around the idea. He’d heard of gay relationships, but what he had witnessed of the world so far, it had seemed that that was a myth. The fan-service things he had done with his dongsaengs in the past had only reinforced the artificiality of the matter, and it felt like WGM was only more fan-service, so he was inclined to believe that he had to behave like he was performing more fan-service than usual.  
  
With Yesung.  
  
Onew’s reflection frowned. He wasn’t close with that particular sunbae. Although Onew was on good terms with everyone, it didn’t necessarily mean he was comfortable with all of them. In fact, Yesung frightened him a bit, with his slightly aloof nature. Then again, what he had witnessed yesterday seemed promising, since the older man had made an extra effort after being paired with him to be more open and talkative. Onew’s reflection smiled, remembering how sweetly Yesung had offered to pay for the meal when he took him to a fried chicken stall. Onew was so excited about the chicken, he had almost missed the way Yesung’s eyes split into crescent shaped moons as he smiled about the younger man’s reaction.  
  
 _He’s got a really nice smile. I should try to make him smile more often._  
  
Onew wandered out of the bathroom, more solidly balanced on his feet now. He passed by a room and heard a thump and a moan. He thought nothing of it until he heard another manly moan from within. He paused.  
  
Someone gasped, and the occupant’s voice shuddered a long, drawn-out “ _Hyu~ung!_ ”  
  
Onew’s mouth opened in astonishment. He had watched enough porn to know what those sounds meant, but that didn’t mean he believed them. Was someone playing a prank on him?  
  
He edged to the door and quietly turned the knob. He couldn’t make anything out at first in the dim light, but soon he noticed the subtle silhouette of two bodies moving on a bed. Onew’s mouth dropped open even wider as he watched Super Junior’s leader slowly pumping into their Canadian maknae, causing the younger man to squirm and claw at his back. Eyes wide and disbelieving, Onew stepped back and closed the door with a silent click.  
  
He didn’t remember his short journey to Shinee’s dorm. The only thing he thought of the entire time was about how gay relationships were not myths, and how he could possibly have missed that he was actually acquainted with two such people. He looked at the Shinee members in the beds surrounding his warily, wondering if he was missing anything in his own group.  
 _  
Impossible_ , he thought as he climbed into his own bed after a quick shower and change of clothes.  
  
He was unable to sleep for the rest of the night, though, much like most of the cast of WGM, minus Yesung, who was snoring happily in his own bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sunbae: older, more experienced person in the same field of work  
> dongsaeng: younger friend, usually someone close  
> maknae: the youngest person in a group

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ongoing series. More chapters and sections will soon be available.


End file.
